SEATTLE – AUGUST 22: Wide Receivers coach Adam Gase of the Denver Broncos walks on the sidelines during the game against the Seattle Seahawks on August 22, 2009 at Qwest Field in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Otto Greule Jr/Getty Images)

Fox NFL analyst Mike Martz, a former Rams coach, attended Friday’s practice and got a good look at quarterbacks coach Adam Gase, whom Martz helped get his start in NFL coaching. Gase was an offensive quality control assistant and quarterbacks coach when Martz was the Lions’ offensive coordinator from 2006-07. They also worked together in 2008 with San Francisco.

“Adam was just a guy I wanted to get involved as much as I could,” Martz said. “Some people you just know, and I just knew he was different, just his intensity, his passion for it and he’s really smart. Not intimidated, just everything you want in a coach and he was ahead of guys his age. He always has been.”

Martz said Gase, 34, would have no issues working with future Hall of Famer Peyton Manning, who’s 36.

“I have such great confidence in him and his ability to coach,” Martz said. “The obvious thing about working with Peyton is Peyton is as smart as any coach in the league, probably, and Adams knows that. Anybody who works with Peyton knows that. “Peyton knows the game as well as anybody, so (Gase) just has to have answers for him when Peyton has questions.”

Brooking update. The Broncos might make roster cuts next week, first to 75 players Monday then to 53 on Friday, without seeing veteran linebacker Keith Brooking practice for most of the preseason or play in a game.

Brooking has been out since suffering a hamstring injury in his first full workout with the team after signing this month. He won’t play Sunday against the 49ers at Sports Authority Field at Mile High and isn’t expected to play Thursday in the preseason finale at Arizona.

When asked if that made it more difficult to evaluate Brooking as roster decisions get made, coach John Fox pointed to Brooking’s previous 14 years in the NFL. “Obviously it’s a little easier to (decide) with a guy who’s got a lot of snaps in the league, a lot of evidence on tape of his playing ability,” Fox said.

Vickerson update. Defensive tackle Kevin Vickerson returned to practice Friday after missing time because of a concussion. He was cleared by the Broncos’ medical staff before participating in the workout, which had players in helmets and shoulder pads and included some contact.

Asked if Vickerson would play Sunday against the 49ers, Fox said the decision had not been made. Vickerson took a smattering of snaps Friday in team drills with the first- and second-team defense.

“We’ll evaluate it, see the flow of the game,” Fox said. “We’ll talk, I’m sure, as a staff as well as the medical people and coaches and coordinators and make a decision from there.”

Footnotes. In addition to Brooking, second-year linebacker Mike Mohamed (hamstring) didn’t practice Friday. … Quarterback Caleb Hanie, who is competing for the No. 2 job behind Manning, didn’t play last weekend against the Seahawks. Asked whether Hanie would play Sunday against the 49ers, offensive coordinator Mike McCoy said: “I believe he will.” … Veteran safety Jim Leonhard, who was signed this month and was medically cleared to return to practice last week, took part in his first contact practice with the Broncos. Leonhard, who had knee surgery in December, received plenty of work in the base defense and in some of the specialty looks, as well as at punt returner. “I thought he moved around well,” Fox said. “We’ll obviously take that slow as we do with all our injured players.”